Friday features a six-game slate starting at 7 p.m. ET.
Let’s dive into some of the top plays on the slate using the FantasyLabs tools and metrics.
Also, don’t forget that for large-field tournaments, you can utilize our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 300 lineups, or use our Lineup Builder if you like to hand-build your lineups.
Note: Projections and Leverages Scores/Ratings may change throughout the day after this article is posted. The NBA DFS landscape changes quickly.
Consult the NBA Player Models directly for any updates as we get closer to lock.
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NBA DFS Point Guard Picks
Stud
With the breaking news that Luka Doncic is out for tonight, Kyrie Irving will rise as one of the best options on this six-game slate. There are a ton of usage rates and production to go around for the Mavericks with Doncic out, and Irving will take a majority of that. In his four games with the Mavericks last season without Doncic, Irving averaged 28.8 points per game with a 32.3% usage rate. Prioritize Irving on FanDuel, where he is only $8,300, has 11 Pro Trends, and has a 96% Bargain Rating.
The Mavericks are hosting the Grizzlies as 10-point home favorites, implied for 120 points, which is the third-highest on the slate. Defensive stalwart Marcus Smart remains out for the Grizzlies, making this an even more exploitable matchup for Doncic. The Grizzlies rank 26th in net rating with a -7.1 point differential. Irving is impossible to ignore in this spot tonight.
Value
Veteran point guard Derrick Rose drew his first start of the season last game and posted a near double-double with 14 points and nine assists. In his season-high 27 minutes, Rose shot 7-for-11 from the field and finished with 32 DraftKings points. Not only is Marcus Smart out, but so is Luke Kennard, as the Grizzlies are looking for any additional production from their backcourt to help Desmond Bane. Projected to start and play 32 minutes again tonight. Rose is a strong value play.
Value is tough to come by on this slate, especially when wanting to pay up for the stud options. However, Rose is priced under $5,000 on both sites and has the highest Projected Plus/Minus on the slate for DraftKings. Rewind back the clock and get exposure to Rose, as the Mavericks rank 24th in defensive rating and still play at the eighth-fastest pace in the league.
Fast Break
Joel Embiid was a late scratch on Wednesday night with an illness and remains questionable to play tonight. Make sure to monitor his status the closer we get to lock, but if Embiid is out, that would make Tyrese Maxey a phenomenal play despite the difficult matchup against the Celtics. With Embiid off the floor this season, Maxey has a team-high +7.78% usage rate. Already having the best year of his career, added usage for Maxey will make him look like an elite play if Embiid is ruled out.
NBA DFS Shooting Guard Picks
Stud
The New Orleans Pelicans are finally getting healthy, but there is more than enough production to go around in their elite matchup against the Spurs. Brandon Ingram has shooting guard-only eligibility on DraftKings and small forward-only on FanDuel and is popping significantly in our Tournament Model. He has the highest Projected Plus/Minus for the shooting guard position on DraftKings and the second-highest projected ceiling. Ingram looks like a fantastic pay-up option tonight.
Through their first 18 games, the Spurs rank 27th in defensive rating while allowing 124.1 points per game. Opponents are shooting 50% from the field and a league-high 39.9% from behind the arc. The Pelicans are 12.5-point favorites, implied for 124.5 points, as the Spurs are playing on a back-to-back with block-leader Victor Wembanyama, who is questionable to play.
Editor’s note: Wembanyama was ruled out after this article was written. Check NBA Player Models for updates.
Ingram looks like one of the better mid-range pay-up options on the slate.
Value
Winners of a league-high eight consecutive games, the Orlando Magic are clicking on all cylinders right now. After beating the Wizards by 19 points Wednesday night, the Magic are 11-point home favorites in this rematch tonight. The Magic are still without Markelle Fultz, which solidifies the playing time for Jalen Suggs, who has recorded a positive Plus/Minus in 12 of his last 16 games on FanDuel. Suggs ranks fourth in steals with 1.9 per game and has at least one in his last 16 games.
Given his defensive upside, Suggs looks best on FanDuel, where he has the third-highest projected Plus/Minus on the slate. Priced under $6,000 with point guard and shooting guard eligibility, Suggs will smother the Wizards backcourt again tonight. In his last game, Suggs scored a season-high 22 points as he shot 9-for-15 from the field with a 25.9% usage rate.
Fast Break
Jalen Brown finally got back on the right track with a 30-point game against the Bulls. He also added eight rebounds and six assists on his way to 51 DraftKings points. Priced at $8,200 on both DraftKings and FanDuel, Brown looks like one of the better mid-range players to get exposure to. His inconsistencies make him a better tournament target than cash games, but Brown can still have a ceiling output against the 76ers tonight. He also benefits due to his guard and forward eligibility.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
Kristaps Porzingis is nearing a return, but it is unlikely that he will play tonight which makes Jayson Tatum look like a strong contrarian pay-up option. Priced at $10,100 on both DraftKings and FanDuel, Tatum routinely has come in around 5-10% ownership, and that is projected to be the case again in this spot against the 76ers. In his two games against the 76ers already this season, Tatum is averaging a double-double with 22.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, 6 assists and 2.5 steals per game.
The 76ers are an average defensive team with Joel Embiid, but without him, they are amongst the worst in the league. Their defensive rating has dropped from 113.4 to 120.4 in the two games that Embiid has missed this season. With Embiid trending towards not playing, Tatum has a great chance to record his seventh points and rebound double-double of the year.
Value
Franz Wagner is another Magic player worth getting exposure to. He has scored 30+ points in back-to-back games. In those two games, Wagner is shooting a ridiculous 75.9% from the field and 66.7% from downtown. He has missed seven total shots and will now get a rematch against a pitiful Wizards defense. Priced under $8,000 on both sites, Wagner has the highest projected Plus/Minus on the slate for DraftKings at the small forward position and the third-highest on FanDuel.
Wagner has been a key factor in the Magic’s recent win streak. He has posted seven consecutive games with a positive Plus/Minus on FanDuel. He leads the Magic in scoring with a career-high 20.2 points per game and is tied for a team-high 25.6% usage rate. Load up on the red-hot Magic in this matchup against the Wizards, and don’t forget about Franz Wagner.
Fast Break
Desmond Bane seemingly has to do everything to keep this Grizzlies team afloat as they deal with injuries and have a 4-13 record. Leading the team in scoring, assists, and usage rate, Bane continues to look good in our Tournament Model in any matchup due to his increased production. His shooting guard and small forward eligibility on both sites make him easy to fit into all lineup builds. Bane is projected for 30% ownership on DraftKings and 20% on FanDuel, making him a strong option.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
Kevin Durant may get the luxury of playing without Bradley Beal and Devin Booker again tonight as Beal is out, while Booker is listed as questionable. In his 16th season in the league, Durant is averaging a career-high 31.3 points per game while shooting a blistering 51.8% from the field and 49.3% from behind the arc. He has scored 30+ points in six straight games and has shown a ton of consistency lately. With Beal and Booker off the floor this season, Durant also has a +4.12% usage rate.
Expect Durant’s ownership projection to rise if Booker is ruled out, but currently, he is only projected for around 5% on both DraftKings and FanDuel, which makes him an incredible tournament option. The Nuggets have been an average defensive team this season, so there is no reason to fear this matchup. Durant looks good now and could look even better later today.
Value
Danilo Gallinari looks like one of the better values on the slate, especially on DraftKings, at his $3,600 salary. Gallinari is averaging nine points and 17.4 minutes per game in his last 10 games off the bench for the Wizards, who desperately need his production. The journeyman forward is projected to play 19 minutes in this spot and is projected for 30% ownership on DraftKings. He is a cheap way to get exposure to this game that has a 237.5-point total and can help fit in all of the studs.
The Wizards have lost 10 of their last 11 games and are a double-digit road underdog yet again to the Magic. Gallinari doesn’t need a lot to pay off his cheap price tag, and he has a positive Plus/Minus in six of his last 10 games. Prioritize Gallinari on DraftKings, where he has the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus at the power forward position with a 73% Bargain Rating.
Fast Break
Zion Williamson has seen his salary rise across the industry, but it isn’t quite high enough for this six-game slate. Priced under $9,000 on both DraftKings and FanDuel, Williamson will be one of the safest options for cash games. He has scored 25+ points in six straight games and is coming off a season-high 56 DraftKings points, as Williamson recorded 33 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and three steals while shooting 11-for-12 from the field. He is impossible in this elite matchup.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
With Joel Embiid trending in the wrong direction and Luka Doncic out, Nikola Jokic is the clear-cut top option to target. He has the highest ceiling projection in our NBA Model but is only projected for around 5% ownership on both sites. Jokic is coming off his seventh triple-double of the season last game. He recorded 32 points, 10 rebounds, and a season-high 15 assists. Jamal Murray did return last game but only played 22 minutes and is questionable to play tonight.
The Suns have been a bad interior defense this season, as they are allowing 53.1 points per game in the paint, which is the eighth-highest in the league. This is the first meeting of the year between the Nuggets and Suns, as the Nuggets are 2.5-point road favorites tonight. Projected to be a competitive game, Jokic is always worth getting exposure to in tournaments.
Value
The center position has a lot of value, but none is better than Magic’s starting center, Goga Bitadze. Prioritize him on FanDuel, where his $5,500 salary has an 82% Bargain Rating. Bitadze has the highest projected Plus/Minus on FanDuel. The Magic are still without Wendell Carter Jr., as Bitadze will draw another start. He is projected to play around 25 minutes in this great spot.
The Wizards have by far the worst rebounding team in the league, as they rank last in rebounding percentage at 43.9%. They also allowed 58.8 points per game in the paint, which is the second-highest in the league. Bitadze may not play a ton of minutes, but he has a great chance to record his second double-double of the season against a weak Wizards frontcourt.
Fast Break
Jonas Valanciunas has been inconsistent to start the season, but has displayed a ceiling that is worth getting exposure to in tournaments. Especially in this matchup against the Spurs, Valanciunas, at his sub-$7,000 salary, can be in the optimal lineup with a massive output. In his last eight games, Valanciunas is averaging a near double-double with 15.6 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. Valanciunas could erupt for a big game against the Spurs at a relatively low ownership tonight.
